Annual Congressional Dinner
69th Annual Congressional Dinner, February 6, 2013
The 69th Annual Congressional Dinner Kicked Off Washington's "Prom Season" with a Roar
With the fiscal cliff only partially avoided, Congress faces a pivotal series of debate: The delayed spending cuts demanded by the sequester, the debt ceiling and the fiscal 2014 budget all will come to a head during the first quarter of 2013. But we took a quick time out for a nonpartisan evening of merriment. Thanks to Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a freshman Democrat from North Dakota the lighter side of working together in a not-always-so-convivial Washington, DC was the theme for the February 6th event.
With CBS News’ Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett as master of ceremonies for the evening this first media dinner of the season was a welcome a break from the daily sparring on Capitol Hill as well as a celebration of the women journalists who fought for a professional foothold 51 years ago and founded the Women's National Press Club, the precursor to the Washington Press Club Foundation.
The Congressional Dinner is the major fundraising event that supports the work of the WPCF. Originally an event hosted by the Women's National Press Club, it remains the place for those who make the laws and those who cover them to share an evening of good-natured fun. Funds from the event help important journalism initiatives including oral history projects documenting pioneering female reporters and annual summer internships in Washington bureaus to foster diversity in newsrooms.
At the dinner, the Foundation honored Lynn Povich with its Lifetime Achievement Award. She has spent more than 40 years in the business, winning multiple awards and blazing trails for female journalists across newsrooms. She began her career as a secretary in the Paris Bureau of Newsweek magazine, rising to become a reporter and writer in New York. In 1970, she was one of 46 women who sued the magazine for sex discrimination, the first women in the media to sue. Five years later, she was appointed the first woman Senior Editor in Newsweek’s history.
Allison Sherry was presented with the annual David Lynch award, which recognizes excellence in coverage of Congress from a regional perspective.
Sponsors for the event include Toyota, CQ Roll Call, The Hill, UnitedHealth Group, Ford Motor Company, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Beer Wholesalers Association, Microsoft and the Newspaper Association of America.
Here's what they're saying about this year's dinner:
The 70th Congressional Dinner will be held in February of 2014, details will be announced later in the year. If you would like information on how to become an event sponsor and be invited by the Foundation to also purchase seats at the dinner please contact the Foundation's Executive Director, Suzanne Pierron, at spierron@wpcf.org.
For photos of the 2013 dinner or previous events visit our facebook page or click on the links below
Washington Life Magazine Coverage of the 69th Annual Congressional Dinner
2012 68th Annual Congressional Dinner Video